


Arm Wrestling for the Heart of Iwaizumi Hajime

by OIKAWAHAJIME13



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Arm Wrestling, First Dates, First Kisses, Fluff, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Miya Atsumu is a Little Shit, Mutual Pining, Olympics, Post-Time Skip, Potty Mouths, battle for love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:40:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OIKAWAHAJIME13/pseuds/OIKAWAHAJIME13
Summary: Oikawa must battle the harem of Iwaizumi admirers in order to win a date with the love of his life.Otherwise known as, Oikawa stupidly challenging Team Japan to an arm wrestling tournament to make his forever claim on Iwa-chan.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 47
Kudos: 255





	1. I Challenge You, Benchwarmer!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Haikyuu!! story and the first story I’ve written in years. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure how this had happened. One minute, he had been enjoying an after party in the Olympic Village and the next minute Kuroo was drawing up a bracket and ranking contestants. 

“I think that Ushijima should have the number one ranking,” Karoo said, leaning over the napkin he was writing on.

“No, Kageyama has the hardest serve amongst the contestants so he should have the number one ranking,” Sakusa muttered quietly from the corner of the couch. He had reluctantly joined the fray, even if just to watch Miya make a fool of himself. 

“Can we agree that Miya is seeded last?” 

“Agreed.” 

“Omi-omi, don’t be a little bitch. The Argentina giants should be ranked below me,” Miya whined. 

Kuroo turned back to Iwaizumi asking, “Do you have a preference on who should be the number one ranking?” 

Iwaizumi shrugged and took another sip of beer, “I don’t care as long as Shittykawa is ranked last.” 

“What the hell, Iwa-chan! Are you trying to set me up to fail?” Oikawa screeched from across the room where he was stretching with Hinata. 

“Okay, the bracket has been completed. There will be a 5 minute break between matches. Classic rules. No cheating. Winner gets to marry Iwaizumi.” 

“Wrong!” Oikawa wailed, “winner gets a kiss and a date with Iwa-chan! Not his hand in marriage.”

“Shut up, Argentine. You’re lucky we are letting your traitorous ass join us,” Miya Atsumu smirked.

Seed Order: 

  1. Ushijima
  2. Kageyama 
  3. Bokuto 
  4. Hinata 
  5. Bruno
  6. Sebastián
  7. Miya
  8. Oikawa 



_ 30 minutes ago  _

_ “Argentina, haven’t you rubbed your win in our faces enough?” Miya asked as three members of the Argentina National Team strolled through the door of the Athletes lounge where Team Japan was currently sulking in their silver medal finish.  _

_ “Why do you care, benchwarmer? You got a silver medal for not doing anything except cheering loudly for Kageyama,” Oikawa shot back as he adjusted the gold medal around his neck.  _

_ “Benchwarmer? BENCHWARMER? I’ll show you benchwarmer, ya traitor donkey suckin-“ _

_ “Miya, shut the hell up,” Kuroo called out, motioning for the Argentines to come in and join the party. “Second place at the Olympics is nothing to scoff at. We should all be proud. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou,” he said in perfect English, introducing himself to the strangers.  _

_ “I’m Bruno and this is Sebastián. We just wanted to make sure Oikawa behaves himself tonight. Our captain doesn’t trust Toto’s judgement when it comes to Team Japan and not behaving like a fool,” the 6’7” player said, holding a hand out to shake Kuroo’s outstretched palm. _

_ A snort erupted from the person standing next to Kuroo.  _

_ “Iwa-chan, I am perfectly capable of behaving,” Oikawa stated, rolling his eyes at Iwaizumi’s scoff.  _

_ Bruno and Sebastián looked at the man and then back to Oikawa with raised eyebrows.  _

_ “You are Iwa-chan? Toto never shuts up about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet the famous Iwa-chan,” Sebastian smiled, holding out his hand.  _

_ “My name isn’t Iwa-chan. It’s Hajime Iwaizumi,” Iwaizumi said using the western way of introducing himself. “Shittykawa’s just never been able to remember that.” _

_ Miya had reengaged in the conversation and strolled up behind Iwaizumi, dropping an arm around his shoulder, “Hajime here is our amazing athletic trainer. He keeps us all limber and relaxed. I keep waiting for him to take me up on my offer to keep *him* limber and relaxed.”  _

_ Oikawa squawked. Literally squawked as Iwaizumi plucked Miya’s arm from around his shoulder.  _

_ “Today is not the day I take you up on your offer. Maybe later. Ask me again next week,” Iwaizumi said, rolling his eyes at the irritated sound that came from Oikawa again.  _

_ “Do you have something to say, Shittykawa?”  _

_ Bruno and Sebastián looked at each, mouthing ‘Shittykawa’. No one had ever called Tōru such a name in Argentina. They grinned at the new tradition that would start upon their return home. _

_ Oikawa had seemingly had enough and through gritted teeth said, “How can you lead him on like that? Why do you let him continuously ask you out?”  _

_ Iwaizumi shrugged, “My personal life is my personal life. If my partner actually lived on the same continent and wanted to actually be in a relationship then they might get a say in what I do when men ask me out.”  _

_ Oikawa gapped at him then turned to Miya.  _

_ “Benchwarmer, I challenge you.”  _

_ “Ya challenge me? To what, asshole?”  _

_ Oikawa searched his brain for a challenge that wouldn’t get him in trouble with his coach or trainer, and would impress Iwaizumi, and that he could win at.  _

_ After a moment, Oikawa turned and said, “I challenge you to an arm wrestling match. Winner gets a date with Iwaizumi!”  _

_ Iwaizumi choked on his beer, “What the hell, Oikawa? You can’t just bet-“  _

_ “Deal! But I wanna add something to the bet: Winner gets to kiss Iwaizumi right here and now and then gets to take him on a date,” Miya said, holding out his hand to shake on it.  _

_ Iwaizumi feels his neck getting flushed and not from the alcohol he had consumed, “Miya, you idiot, I’m not-“  _

_ “Hey! I want to kiss Iwaizumi!” Hinata shouted from his spot on the couch.  _

_ “I, too, would like to take part in this challenge to officially court Iwaizumi,” Ushijima stated quietly from his spot on the couch.  _

_ “Iwaizumi-senpai, I would like to take part in this challenge too,” Kageyama said.  _

_ “Hey, hey, hey! I’m down for a challenge!” Bokuto yelled.  _

_ “We would like to participate in this challenge as well,” Bruno said, Sebastián nodding along.  _

_ Oikawa turned a scandalous look at his teammates. How dare they betray him like that.  _

_ Seb saw the look and shrugged, “From all the stories you’ve told, it seems like Hajime here is a fun guy. I’d like a shot at an even better ending to the Olympics.”  _

_ Bruno just smiled, saying, “I’m just doing this to fuck with you.”  _

_ Kuroo smirked at the group, “Sounds like our challenge has turned into a tournament. Gentleman, prepare your arms for the fight to conquer Iwaizumi. Sakusa, help me create the bracket!” _

  
  


Kuroo, Bokuto and Hinata worked together to move the couchs to form a semi-circle around a cafe table with two chairs on opposite sides. Money could be seen changing hands as the non-participating members of the entourage placed bets on who would win. Current odds favored Bruno and Ushijima. 

Kuroo walked to the front of the semicircle and held up his hands for quiet. 

“Gentlemen, I would like to officially welcome you to fight night where eight illustrious volleyball players will battle to the death, or broken arm, whichever comes first, for the heart of Iwaizumi Hajime. Iwaizumi, would you like to come say a few words of encouragement to the contestants?”

Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi slowly stood from his “chair of honor” in the middle of the circle. He glared at everyone of the competitors as he said, “This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever had the displeasure of being part of. You are all over the age of 25 and should be acting like grown ass men. Bokuto, why the fuck are you participating? You’re married to Akaashi.”

To which Bokuto just shrugged, “I’m doing it for your honor. I can’t let an Argentine woo you away from us.”

Shaking his head at the insanity of it all, Iwaizumi finished with,“I think this is dumb but I will follow through with the bet, kiss the winner and go on a date. But whoever wins has to pay because you all are professional athletes and we will be going out to the most expensive place I can think of.”

With a scowl, he sat back down and motioned for Kuroo to continue. 

“Thank you, Hajime, for those inspiring words. Well, gentlemen, the time has come. The first match of round 1 is Ushijima versus Oikawa.”

Ushijima shuffled to the table and sat down. Oikawa sauntered up, blowing Iwaizumi a kiss and glaring at Miya.

“Oikawa, if only you had come to Shiratorizawa. Then you might have stayed in Japan and already been in a healthy relationship with Iwaizumi. I look forward to delivering you a crushing defeat.”

“I’m going to rip your fucking arm off,” Oikawa snarled, throwing his arm onto the table, hand up in the air.

Round 1: 

Ushijima v Oikawa 

Kageyama v Miya

Bokuto v Seb

Hinata v Bruno


	2. Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arm wrestling competition begins! Plus startling confessions and uncomfortable realizations.

Iwaizumi was the legendary arm wrestling champion of the Miyagi prefecture high school sports world. During high school, students from all sports asked to challenge THE CHAMPION, a ridiculous moniker that Hanamakki had given him after he had beaten a 3rd year baseball player as a 1st year at Aoba Johsai. Unfortunately, it had stuck with him through high school and into college. 

While the students at UC Irvine might not have known him as THE CHAMPION, they figured out his abilities quickly and he was then asked to join every fraternity on campus. He politely turned them down but still went to their parties when asked. There was an underground gambling pool between Iwaizumi and the frat houses where each house would bring forth a challenger to take on Iwaizumi. If that challenger won, Iwaizumi would have to join that frat. After four years of challengers and attempts of conquering THE CHAMPION, the frats admitted defeat. Iwaizumi was gracious enough to take pictures with the frat presidents every year so that the Legend of Hajime Iwaizumi could be passed down to incoming recruits. 

Oikawa had come to visit during one of those parties and had eagerly joined in the cheering and fan squad as he watched his best friend demolish opponent after opponent. It was a glorious thing to see. Later that night, as they headed back to Iwaizumi’s off-campus apartment, Oikawa asked Iwaizumi what his secret to winning was? Iwaizumi responded, “Be fast and take them off guard. The faster you move, the less chance they have of gaining ground.”

Oikawa filed that advice away, knowing it would come in handy later.

——

It was a battle of the high school rivals; Ushijima versus Oikawa. Oikawa threw his elbow on the table, hand raised and ready to battle. This was personal to Oikawa. He had beaten Ushijima on a national level three times while Ushijima had beaten him three times in high school. This was the tie-breaker to determine who had supremacy over the other. Ushijima did one final stretch of his shoulder then finally he put his elbow on the table and grasped Oikawa‘s hand.

The others by this point had circled up around the two some chanting “Vamos Oikawa” with others chanting “Go Ushiwaka.'' Everyone was closely watching who would take the first round of this decisive battle for the heart of Iwaizumi Hajime.

Kuroo, ever loving shit stirrer upper, announced “Today is a glorious day. Oikawa Tōru will face his first challenger in his conquest to make Iwaizumi his man. Ushiwaka will not be an easy foe and I think he has always admired Iwaizumi’s work ethic and rugged good looks. Gentlemen, the match will begin on the count of three.

One.

Two.

Three.

Go.”

Oikawa smirked at Ushijima. This fool wouldn’t know what hit him. He ground his elbow into the table, tightened his grip and threw his strength into pushing his arm down.

And suddenly the match was over. It had taken less than 30 seconds for the winner to be declared. 

Everyone around the table stood stunned with how quickly this match was over. This definitely wasn’t the result they had been expecting. 

Bruno smirked as he held his hand out to collect his winnings. 

Oikawa had won in a landslide. On the count of go, he had immediately moved his arm in a ‘if you blink, you miss it’ effectively not letting the other man have a chance to gain some footing.

Oikawa turned to Ushijima and said, “Did you really think I wouldn’t have learned how to win quickly when my best friend is the arm wrestling champion of Aoba Johsai and the arm wrestling legend of UC Irvine? You took me for a fool but I made a fool out of you. I win, Ushijima. You may have been better in high school but I have destroyed you every chance we’ve met since then. You will never beat me.”

Ushijima bowed slightly, acknowledging Oikawa’s win, and said, “While your arrogance grates on me, I will acknowledge you as the victor. Good luck with your quest for Iwaizumi. Promise me, you won’t hurt him like you did before.”

Oikawa started dumbfounded at Ushijima. Had Iwaizumi actually shared what had happened between them with Ushijima of all people?

He quickly looked at the center chair but Iwaizumi had moved and Oikawa couldn’t find him. 

Kuroo announced, “The next battle will begin in 5 minutes.”

Unable to get Ushijima’s last comment out of his head, Oikawa decided to head to the bathroom to take a break from the noise and get his focus back.

——

“Do you honestly think winning an arm wrestling contest is going to make me believe that you truly want a relationship with me?” 

Oikawa hadn’t even noticed Iwaizumi follow him into the restroom. 

“Iwa-chan-“ 

Iwaizumi held a hand up for Oikawa to stop talking. He leaned against one of the bathroom stalls and sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Silence sat heavy between them as Oikawa waited for Iwaizumi to start talking, realizing that this was an important moment. 

“Do you realize how long I’ve wanted this?” Iwaizumi asked. 

That wasn’t the question Oikawa had been expecting but he still answered, “Yes, it’s been five years.” 

“Wrong,” Iwaizumi said, moving forward to stand right in front of Oikawa by the bathroom sink. 

Furrowing his brow, Oikawa frowned. It had been five years since they first had a conversation about actually being together at Hajime’s undergrad graduation. They had shared their first kiss there and made plans for the future. Plans that had lasted three months before Oikawa messed up. 

“No, I’m not wrong. It’s been five years since we first tried to be together,” Oikawa said, washing his hands so he didn’t have to focus on the pain he knew he would see on Iwaizumi’s face. 

The breakup five years ago hadn’t been pretty and it had stemmed from Oikawa being approached by the Argentine National Coach about becoming a naturalized citizen and joining Argentina’s team. Their plan had been for both of them to move back to Japan and have Oikawa join the Japanese National Team. Oikawa had accepted the offering without thinking because he knew his spot was guaranteed in Argentina. Japan already had Kageyama and Miya. They didn’t have room for a third setter. 

When Iwaizumi found out, he had ended it right then and there. They didn’t speak for nearly a year, but eventually started to slowly rebuild their friendship over the last four years to a resemblance of what it used to be. 

Iwaizumi, getting tired of Oikawa avoiding his eyes, reached out and gently grabbed Oikawa’s chin, turning his face towards him. 

“Shittykawa, I have loved you since I was 15 years old. You never made it easy to love you and after we broke up four years ago, I had mostly given up on ever actually being with you. I haven’t waited for you. I’ve been with other men and women but no one ever compared to you and it drives me absolutely crazy,” whispered Iwaizumi, flattening his hand to caress Oikawa’s stubble covered cheek, brushing away the tear that had gathered in the corner of his eye. 

Oikawa sniffled, “Are you seriously confessing in the men’s restroom right now?” 

Iwaizumi shrugged with a slight smirk, “It was the only place where I could get you alone since you started this ridiculous competition.” 

Oikawa shrugged, “I was jealous and I didn’t think.” 

“Do you ever think?”

“So mean, Iwa-chan.” 

“Winning this competition doesn’t mean anything, Oikawa. It doesn’t mean we will get back together and live happily ever after. I have to guard my heart from you because you have so much power over me. I can’t get my heart broken by you again and then go back to being friends. There won’t be a return to friendship. You have to convince me that we can actually have a life together, not one where we are together but live on separate continents. The balls in your court,” Iwaizumi said, dropping his hand and walking out the door. 

“Damn it,” Oikawa said, looking in the mirror and remembering the day five years ago when he had called Iwaizumi to tell him about the offer…

“ _Iwa-chan, how do you feel about moving to Argentina?” Oikawa had asked as a form of greeting._

_Iwaizumi looked down at his phone to make sure he was actually talking to Oikawa. Verifying that it was the correct number, he sat back on his futon, and asked, “What the hell are you talking about, Shittykawa?”_

_Oikawa’s excited squeal could be heard through the line as he proclaimed, “Blanco called me today and said the National team is interested in me and they want to know if I would be willing to become a naturalized citizen so I can play for Argentina!”_

_Iwaizumi didn’t even have to ask to know that Oikawa had already given them an answer. That he would happily give up his Japanese citizenship for a chance to play at the national level. All the plans they had made about going to Japan were a lie. The apartment Iwaizumi had rented for them in Tokyo was a lie. He should have known his dreams would fall prey to Oikawa’s selfish pursuit of volleyball. Iwaizumi knew he should be happy for his boyfriend, this was a big deal. But all he could feel was anger and betrayal._

_“I repeat, what the hell, Shittykawa? You were here less than 3 months ago and we made all these plans together. I got an apartment for us in Tokyo. I have plane tickets, I turned down prestigious internships here in California to be with you back in Japan.”_

_“Our plans don’t have to change, Iwa-chan. You can still do all those things but here in Argentina. With me,” Oikawa whispered, having picked up on the anger._

_“So there’s not even to be a discussion? You are just going to accept their offer? Japan is completely off the table?” Iwaizumi yelled into the phone, clutching it tightly, willing his heart not to break into pieces._

_Oikawa sighed, “I talked to the JVA and they are going with Kageyama and Miya. They don’t want me, Hajime. I’m still not good enough for them. Argentina wants me.”_

_“Go play in the Japanese leagues! They will see your talent and know you are better than both Kageyama and Miya,” Iwaizumi pleaded, practically begging Oikawa not to give up on Japan, on their dreams._

_“I’m choosing Argentina.”_

_Crack. Iwaizumi’s phone screen cracked from the pressure he had been putting on it. He was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. After about a minute, he responded with, “I’m breaking up with you. If you won’t consider coming back to Japan to be with me then I won’t consider going to Argentina with you. I don’t want to be second place to volleyball. I love you but I won’t do that. Please don’t call me again.”_

_And with that, he hung up and hurled his phone against the wall, smashing it into a thousand pieces, a perfect replication of his heart.  
  
— — — — —_

Oikawa moved back into the room where the competition was ongoing. Someone had done a McDonalds run and there were dozens of bags scattered around the circle. 

The matches thus far had gone like this: 

Miya had beaten Kageyama which was a surprise for most people since Kageyama had quickly joined the competition.

Sebastian had beaten Bokuto. Afterwards, Bokuto had claimed to have thrown the match because Akaashi would have actually murdered him if he kissed Iwaizumi. 

And Hinata was just about to beat Bruno. It was a match up for the ages, 6’7” versus 5’8”, the Argentine Giants vs Ninja Shouyou. Oikawa stood in the back, watching the match go down. It was a pretty even battle, both men exerting their power and trying to smash the other hand into the table. It went on for a full minute before the Ninja Shouyou caught a break and slammed the Argentine’s hand down. 

Raising Hinata’s hand in the air, Kuroo proclaimed him the victor and announced a 15 minute break before the next set of matches. 

Oikawa realized this might be his chance to make something happen and he strolled over to Kuroo and asked, “Hey man, can I talk to you for a second?” 

Iwaizumi watched Oikawa pull Kuroo out into the hallway, frowning over what his best friend might be pulling. He wouldn’t put anything past Oikawa. 

When Oikawa came back into the lounge, he had a more determined look in his eye. Iwaizumi wondered if Oikawa’s incessant drive to win and be the best was going to make him ignore what Iwaizumi had told him in the bathroom. 

Iwaizumi had made up his mind that there wouldn’t actually be any kissing tonight, mainly because of how unprofessional it made him feel. Secondly, he didn’t want to kiss anyone but Oikawa. His heart had chosen his best friend a long time ago and nothing he did ever convinced his heart to release its love from the past. Iwaizumi was so lost in his thoughts that he barely realized that the third round had started. 

This round was Miya vs. Hinata and Oikawa vs. Sebastian which would lead to a Japan versus Argentina final. How fitting. 

Oikawa and Sebastian were the first pair to start the round. Right before it started, Sebastian leaned across the table and whispered something in Oikawa’s ear which made his friend’s mouth drop open. No one seemed to have heard what the Argentine said but he suddenly threw his hand backward, slamming his knuckles onto the table which made Oikawa the winner. 

Sebastian dramatically declared, “Hijo de mil puta! Me has ganado, Toto. Eres el gran rey de Argentina.” 

Sebastian finished his statement with a flourish, sliding off the chair and laying on the floor. 

Team Japan roared with laughter as Oikawa looked at his teammate who was behaving ridiculously. 

Kicking Sebastian in the leg, Oikawa said with a grimace, “Me das pena.”

Kuroo called for a brief break as Bruno came and pulled his drama queen up from the floor. Bokuto immediately came over to talk to both Bruno and Sebastian in a conversation that was mostly a few English words and a whole lot of slightly inappropriate hand gestures.

“Yer ain’t allowed to throw the match like that,” Miya whined from where he was warming up his arm. 

Hinata, standing next to him chuckled, “Miya-San, I think you can be more dramatic than that. How about you throw the match and I’ll go on to face Oikawa?” 

Scoffing, and kicking Hinata’s shoe, Miya replied, “Sorry, Shouyou. If you want to get to Oikawa, you’ve got to get through me.” 

“Do you really want to kiss Iwaizumi that badly?” Hinata asked, genuinely curious. 

Miya shrugged, “I really don’t care but I think it would make both Oikawa and Omi-Omi furious so it sounds like a good plan to me.” 

Cocking his head to the side, Hinata asked, “‘Tsumu, has anyone told you that you're kind of an asshole?” 

Miya winked, “Not today.” 

Kuroo decided that the break was over and ushered Hinata and Miya onto the participant chairs. The two men nodded at each other before putting their elbows on the table and clasped hands. 

Kuroo counted backwards from three and the battle began. 

Now Hinata didn’t really care about kissing Iwaizumi but it has pissed him off something fierce when his secret boyfriend had volunteered to participate without even asking him if it was okay. To be honest, Iwaizumi and Oikawa were their dream cheat kisses. That if either one of them got the opportunity to kiss the Great King and his ace, the other couldn’t be mad. But Kageyama had lost and Hinata didn’t really want to have to face Oikawa so he relaxed his grip slightly. Miya narrowed his eyes, having picked up on Hinata’s slight change. Taking full advantage, Miya shoved Hinata’s arm down on the table, making him the victor. 

“Good match, Atsumu,” Hinata said standing up and gesturing for Oikawa to sit down. 

Kuroo again made the announcement that the final match would take place in 5 minutes. 

Miya, feeling as confident as always, smiled at Oikawa and said, “Are you ready to lose, Toto?” 

Oikawa wrinkled his nose at the nickname coming out of Miya’s mouth and replied, “Please don’t call me that.”

“What’s da matter, Toto? What makes you think you’re good enough for Iwaizumi?” 

Oikawa looked Miya straight in the eye for a full 30 seconds. There was nothing to be afraid of with this fool. He had nothing to be fearful of except for Iwaizumi’s response. 

Oikawa looked at his best friend sitting on the throne of honor, laughing with Hinata, Bokuto, Bruno and Sebastian. Hajime was finally happy again; he had friends and a great job that he loved, even if he worked with assholes like Miya. Oikawa realized in that moment that Hajime would never be happy in Argentina with him. 

Oikawa knew what he had to do and it surprised everyone including himself when he stood up. He bowed slightly to Miya then turned toward the throne of honor and whispered, “I sorry for not realizing before, Iwa-chan.”

Turning back to Miya, Oikawa softly declared, “I forfeit.”

— — —  
  


Spanish translation: 

Hijo de mil puta! -Goddamn son of a bitch

Me has ganado, Toto. -You’ve beaten me, Toto

Eres el gran rey de Argentina. -You are the great king of Argentina.

Me das pena-you are so embarrassing 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to @yourfavoritedissapointment for the helping make this happen.
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know your prediction for how Iwaizumi’s going to react.


	3. The Forfeit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of “I forfeit.” Plus midnight runs, a broken phone, avoidance and a surprise trip.

“I forfeit.” 

The words sparked a variety of reactions from former contestants, to observers, to the main man himself. 

Iwaizumi smirked. He just smirked. His words to Oikawa in the bathroom must have sunk in and now he just had to wait for Oikawa to play his hand.

Miya looked from Oikawa, to Iwaizumi, to Kuroo before saying, “Can he do that?” 

Kuroo shrugged, patting Miya on the shoulder, “The man can do whatever he wants since it was his challenge.” 

Miya looked at Oikawa, “Are ya shittin’ me? I didn’t take you for a coward.” 

Oikawa had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from snapping. Centering his emotions, he finally said, “No, benchwarmer, I am not shitting you. Iwaizumi is not a prize to be won, and I’m sorry that I put him in this position.” 

Turning towards Iwaizumi, he said, “I really am sorry. And I’m going to need a day. Just give me a day and I promise I will make things right again.” 

Iwaizumi got up out of his seat, walking over to the two men. He pulled Oikawa into a hug and said, “You can have a day. Text me when you’re ready and let me know where to meet you.” 

“I really do love you, Iwa-chan. I’ll text when I’m ready.” Placing a kiss on Iwaizumi’s cheek, Oikawa strode out of the room, ignoring Miya’s outcry of “you can’t kiss him, you didn’t win!” 

Iwaizumi turned to Miya, “Well Atsumu, technically you won but how about one more round. Me versus you. If you win, we will go do anything you want to do. I’ve got 24 hours before I’m a taken man. But if I win, you behave in a more professional manner and you stop taking pictures of my ass when I bend over.” 

The peanut gallery howled at the new terms of the bet, chiming in: 

“C’mon, Tsumu, you’ve got him where you want him. Beat him and take that last kiss,” said Aran. 

“Do you post those pictures somewhere?” Asked Kageyama. Hinata shot his boyfriend a dirty look, saying, “Why are you so interested in Iwaizumi’s ass, Bakegama?”

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at Miya, drawling, “What do you say, Miya? Are you a coward or not?”

——

Sakusa clucked his tongue as he passed Miya a bag of ice so the setter could ice his crushed hand. Iwaizumi had made sure not to break any bones but with one tight squeeze, he had Miya begging for mercy and promising to delete the pictures. 

“I can’t believe you actually challenged Iwaizumi-san. You had to have known he would beat you. Have you seen his biceps?”

Sighing, Miya leaned back against the couch in the lounge. Most of the onlookers had disappeared after the match, the drama being done for the evening and Team Japan needed to celebrate a second place finish. Team USA had passed by the lounge inviting Team Japan to a party being held in one of the other dorms. 

“Omi-Omi, I really wanted a chance to kiss Iwaizumi-san. He’s just… ugh,” Miya gestured with his hand in squiggly motion. 

Sakusa, the ever patient companion to most of Miya’s shenanigans shrugged, “Atsumu, be honest. You never stood a chance. He has always been Oikawa’s. Why do you sabotage yourself like this?” 

Lifting the bag of ice off his hand where it had been resting on his face, Miya looked at Sakusa, “Omi-Omi, I didn’t know you cared so much. That’s so unlike you.” 

Blushing slightly, Sakusa stood up, saying, “Why do I even try with you?” 

And with that he walked out of the lounge.

Groaning, Miya put the bag of ice on his face. What a night it had been. He’d lost the Olympics, he challenged Oikawa, won (even a forfeit counts as a win), been humiliated by Iwaizumi, had to delete all of the amazing pictures of Iwaizumi-san’s ass from his phone (good thing he had them backed up) and now Sakusa was mad at him. Life sucked. 

——

Life didn’t suck for Iwaizumi who had declined the team's offer to go party with them. He wanted to have a clear head for whatever Oikawa had planned for tomorrow. But the more he sat with his thoughts, the more nervous he became. 

What if Oikawa wanted him to go to Argentina with him? 

What if Oikawa moved home? Who would he play for? Would they accept him? Please, any team would accept a gold medal winning setter. Oikawa could pick any team he wanted. 

Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa loved him. But how much was he willing to give? He wasn’t sure. Tōru was a goal-driven person. He always had been. He guarded what he loved closely and Iwaizumi had once been something that Oikawa had cherished. But when they broke up five years ago, Oikawa hadn’t even given Iwaizumi a second thought before chasing his Olympic dreams. 

He needed to get out of his room. He felt the walls closing in and although it was nearly midnight, he started changing into running gear. Running always helped clear his mind. 

——

Oikawa on the other hand was not having the best night. Why did people have to sleep? He needed things resolved right now and he couldn’t wait until morning to get it done. He was currently sitting outside of the athlete’s village on the phone with his manager trying to see if he could get out of his CA San Juan contract and come play for a team in Japan. 

“Tōru, no va a ser posible. Tienes un contrato para esta temporada y, si lo rompes, puedes perder tu plaza en la selección,” his agent replied completely baffled to have his star player calling him frantic to move to a team in Japan. 

“Tiene que haber algo que pueda hacer,” Oikawa begged, close to tears. Iwaizumi had basically said it was up to Tōru to make the move for them to be together and now he couldn’t get out of his contract that he was stuck in for another eight months.

“Lo siento, Tōru. No hay nada que podamos hacer hasta que comiencen las negociaciones del contrato,” his agent responded. 

Dammit. Fucking hell. 

“Gracias, Tobias,” Oikawa said as he hung up the phone. His frustration that had built over the last few hours since his confrontation with Iwaizumi in the bathroom finally spilled over and he threw his phone onto the pavement. 

Instant regret flooded through him as the screen shattered into a million pieces.

He needed that phone.

Falling to the ground, he frantically started picking up the shards of screen from where they were strewn about. Each piece was placed in the palm of his right hand. His focus on the task was so intense that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching and slowly stopping. 

“Oikawa?” 

Oikawa ignored the voice. He couldn’t face Iwaizumi yet. He didn’t have his plan. He didn’t have anything to offer him. He was literally the worst. 

“Hey, Shittykawa!” 

Oikawa continued to ignore him, continuing to pick up the shards of glass. 

“Tōru?”

Hearing his given name come out of Iwaizumi mouth startled him enough that he finally looked up and met Iwaizumi’s concerned gaze. 

“Tōru, what are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked as he knelt to the ground beside Oikawa looking from the broken phone to the glass now clenched in Oikawa’s hand. 

Staring at the ground, Oikawa just shrugged. 

“Tōru, how did your phone break?” 

That was easier to answer. 

“I threw it on the ground,” he said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. 

Iwaizumi reached under Oikawa’s elbow and pulled him slowly back into a standing position. That’s when he noticed the blood drops. 

“Come on, Oikawa. Let’s go take a look at you,” Iwaizumi said, steering Oikawa in the direction of the medical staff residences.

When they arrived at Iwaizumi’s single room, the athletic trainer pushed Oikawa to sit on the bed and went to grab his medical bag. He knew the hand was cut because of the blood dripping down onto the floor but he wasn’t sure how bad it actually was. Oikawa, himself, seemed to be in a daze or shock, hardly responding to anything that Iwaizumi asked. 

What had made Oikawa react like this? He needed to get him talking or he would be taking him to the ER to get checked out for shock symptoms. 

Iwaizumi grabbed some gauze, antiseptic wipes, and tape. He pried the phone and glass out of Oikawa’s hand, explaining that he needed Oikawa to hold his own wrist so that he could look at the damage. 

Bedside manner 101-when a patient is in shock, give them a task to do that won’t hinder you and that gives them a distraction. 

“So Tōru, would you care to explain why you currently have glass sticking out of the palm of your hand and your phone is smashed to pieces?” Iwaizumi asked, using the tweezers to remove all of the glass. 

“I can’t come back to Japan.”

It was the first thing Oikawa had said since entering the room. 

“Mmm,” Iwaizumi hummed, ripping open an antiseptic wipe to clear the blood and protect Oikawa from infection, “this might sting.” 

That was an understatement. It stung like a bitch as Iwaizumi knew from using it on himself. But Oikawa didn’t even flinch. 

In a blank voice, devoid of emotion, Oikawa continued, “I was on the phone with my agent trying to see if CA San Juan would release me or sell my contract to a team in Japan, preferably the Alders, now that Kageyama is in Italy, but my agent said that was impossible. I can’t leave Argentina for another 8 months. I can’t come home to you.” 

The last words were said with a sob. 

Iwaizumi, taking in what Oikawa was saying, continued to wrap the hand with gauze and a loop of tape to hold it in place. 

Tears were dripping onto the bandage as he finished. 

While he wanted to react, he was an athletic trainer first and he needed to make sure Oikawa’s million dollar hands were safe so he grabbed a water bottle and a pain killer, passing them to Oikawa to take. 

“Tōru, I need you to lay down. That painkiller is going to knock you out and I’m going to go get some ice for your hand and let your trainer know what happened. I’ll be right back.”

He watched as Oikawa laid down on the bed, still cradling his hurt hand, tears still running down his face. Opening the door, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to the Argentina trainer letting them know that Oikawa was hurt and would be staying under his observation tonight. Jose and Iwaizumi were friends, having met through Oikawa. Iwaizumi had passed on knee strengthening exercises to Jose for Oikawa when his friend mentioned his knee bothering him. 

Jose texted back a quick message thanking him and telling him that he’d pass the info on the team captain. 

Iwaizumi walked to the common area to grab a bag of ice while trying to process what Oikawa had just told him. The idiot had really thought that he could just up and move to Japan? No team would let their Olympic caliber setter go without a fight. But he knew Oikawa had contract negotiations coming up the following spring. He could work with that and the promise it brought. In the meantime, there might be something that he could do too. 

——

Arriving back at the room, Iwaizumi slipped in quietly, gently placing the ice on Oikawa’s hand. The other man wasn’t asleep yet but there was a drowsy look in his eye. 

“Itz cold,” Oikawa slurred as Iwaizumi placed the ice bag on his hand. 

Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi muttered something that sounded a lot like, <i> _ no shit _ </i> as he pulled a chair up beside the bed. 

Oikawa suddenly reached out with his good hand to grab Iwaizumi’s saying, “Please lay down with me? If this is all I get, I want to enjoy it.”

Without putting up much of a fight, Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa over and climbed onto the bed, laying his arm down underneath Oikawa’s head so the other man could curl up next to him. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but Iwaizumi savored the feeling of having Tōru by his side. He had missed the feel of this man’s body next to his and before he knew it, they were both fast asleep. 

Iwaizumi woke in the morning to the sound of a door shutting quietly. Oikawa had left without waking him up or trying to say goodbye. 

This man was going to end him. He was going to have a stroke because of Oikawa Tōru. And he couldn’t even text him to call him a fucking idiot because Oikawa’s phone was still smashed to pieces on his bedside table. 

Thankfully he knew of one Team Japan member who he could ask for help in enacting his plan. 

——

Oikawa avoided Iwaizumi for the next few days. It was easy to do because his phone was destroyed and he couldn’t get a new one until he got the SIM card out of his old one which Iwaizumi had probably thrown away because Oikawa was a dumbass who had had a mental breakdown after receiving bad news and he had blurted out to Iwaizumi that he couldn’t fulfill his dreams, and he didn’t want to wait 8 months to be together, but Iwaizumi wanted a plan for them to be together now and he just couldn’t promise that a team in Japan would want him eight months from now. 

He went through the motions of the closing ceremonies, too stuck in his own thoughts to totally enjoy the experience. 

His teammates noticed but didn’t say anything. 

When it was time to catch their flight back to Buenos Aires, Oikawa was more than ready to go back. 

He ran into Hinata, Kageyama, Miya and the rest of team Japan in the lobby of the athletes village about 30 minutes before their bus took them to the airport. 

“Shouyou, I am so happy to know you and I am so damn proud of your hard work, even if you have terrible taste in men,” Oikawa said, pulling Hinata into a tight hug. 

Hinata threw his head back and laughed as Kageyama scoffed from beside them, “Oikawa-senpai, you are officially the Great King of the world and you have excellent taste in men.” 

Oikawa gave him another quick squeeze before letting go. 

He turned to Kageyama, holding out his hand. Kageyama took it and gave it a solid shake. 

When Oikawa looked at the rest of team Japan, Miya was grinning at him, “I heard Iwaizumi-san is still up for grabs. What happened to all that bravado? I thought you had more balls than that. Ouch! Omi-Omi, what the hell?” 

Sakusa had whacked Miya on the back of the head, rolling his eyes at Atsumu’s nonsense. 

“You’re a first string asshole, Miya, if not a first string setter,” Oikawa smarmed, giving him a wink. 

He turned back to Hinata and asked, “Is Iwa-chan still around?” 

Hinata gave him a sad smile, “No, he left yesterday. He said something about a lifetime of disappointment and that he needed a break from idiot volleyball players.” 

Well… that stung but Oikawa couldn’t fault him. 

“But,” Hinata continued, “he asked me to give you this.” 

Hinata had a SIM card in his hand and dropped it into Oikawa’s outstretched hand. 

So Iwa-chan hadn’t thrown it away. 

Giving Hinata one more silent hug, he waved to Team Japan and went to join his team on the bus that would take him to the airport. 

Boarding the bus, Oikawa didn’t even notice the others getting on until someone sat down in the seat next to him. 

He was going to snap at his teammate that he wanted to be left alone but it wasn’t a teammate sitting next to him. 

“What are you doing here?” Oikawa demanded. 

Iwaizumi shrugged, “I need a ride to the airport and your coach said it was fine. Plus, you didn’t say goodbye and don’t have a phone so I figured this would kill two birds with one stone.” 

“I’m not a bird? Why are you trying to kill me?” Oikawa asked, confused by the English idiom. 

“Forget it, Shittykawa. Why didn’t you say goodbye?” 

Oikawa shrugged, “Iwa-chan looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.” 

Iwaizumi laughed, “That’s bullshit. Try again.” 

“Iwa-chan, why must you be so mean to me?” 

Iwaizumi nudged his shoulder, “I’m not letting you deflect either. Why didn’t you say goodbye?” 

Of course none of his tricks would work on Hajime. The man knew him better than most. So he decided to turn the tables to try and get the other man to talk. 

“Where are you going, Iwa-chan? I thought the national team would need you this week?” 

Iwaizumi just shrugged, “I informed the coach that I needed a vacation. The other trainers can take care of the boys.” 

Oikawa looked at him, hope and suspicion in his amber eyes. 

But the question had to be asked, “Where are you going on vacation, Iwa-chan?” 

Iwaizumi gently grabbed Oikawa’s injured hand and said, “Wherever you want me to go.” 

Oikawa really wanted to beg Iwaizumi to come home with him but it made him very nervous to admit. 

He laced their fingers together, finally saying, “Hajime, I’m in Argentina until at least April but I want to come back to Japan, at least part of the year. I’ll always have national team commitments and have to be gone for several weeks or months at a time but I want both volleyball and I want you. I chose volleyball over you five years ago and I have regretted the decision to let you go everyday since then. I don’t regret Argentina but I regret how I handled my decision and how it made me lose you. I love you, Hajime. I want a life with you. Please come spend your vacation with me in Argentina. I want us to figure it out together.” 

Iwaizumi grinned at him, “Well, I guess it’s a good thing that I already cleared my travel with your coach and team manager. I’ve already got my seat on the private jet booked and ready to go.” 

Oikawa gaped at him, “You asshole! You were planning on coming all along and you let me go on and on like that?” 

“You said to give you 24 hours and it’s been three days. I needed to give you the kick in the ass you needed. Bokuto talked to Bruno who got me a meeting with your coach. Hinata agreed to make it seem like I had already left when they said goodbye to you in the lobby and the rest of your teammates knew ahead of time not to react when I got on the bus.” 

Looking for Iwaizumi to his other teammates and yelled, “pinche madre. Todos supieron y nadie me dijo nada?” 

The bus howled with laughter at their setter’s expense caused the setter to pout. 

Thumbing over Oikawa’s lip, Iwaizumi whispered, “I’m gonna kiss you now. And then we’re going to join the mile high club on the flight home. That’ll teach them to laugh at you.” 

Oikawa could only nod as he moved closer to Iwaizumi.

Their lips touched softly at first then began to move more rapidly as their memories came back as to how the other liked to be kissed. They stayed that way until they arrived at the airport where they walked hand in hand onto their new adventure together. 

  
  


_**Spanish Translations:** _

_Tōru, no va a ser posible. Tienes un contrato para esta temporada y, si lo rompes, puedes perder tu plaza en la selección_ ,”- Tōru, it’s not going to be possible. You have a contest for this season and if you break it, you could lose your sport on the national team. 

“ _Tiene que haber algo que pueda hacer,_ ”- There had to be something I can do. 

“ _Lo siento, Tōru. No hay nada que podamos hacer hasta que comiencen las negociaciones del contrato,”_ -I’m sorry, Tōru. There is nothing we can do until contract negotiations start. 

“ _Gracias, Tobias_ ,”- Thanks, Tobias

“ _pinche madre. Todos supieron y nadie me dijo nada?_ ”-fucking hell. Everyone knew and no one told me anything? 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments. This is the first fic I’ve ever finished and I’m so proud of it. 
> 
> Comment below if you’d like to see an epilogue or part 2 of this series that would include Mike high shenanigans 😉
> 
> A huge shoutout to @yourfavoritedissapointment for helping shape this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> Who do you think will make it into round 2? Post your predictions in the comments!
> 
> Special thanks to @yourfavoritedissapointment for helping me polish this story. 
> 
> You can check me out on Twitter @bcain171 for sneak peeks and random iwaoi thoughts. Follow me and I’ll follow you back!


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